PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth police are searching for a man charged in connection to a shooting that left four people dead in June.
Police said 40-year-old Antwann Jacque Gore faces four counts of aggravated homicide for a shooting that happened June 7 on Maple Avenue.
Responding officers found three people dead at the scene. A fourth victim died at the hospital days later. The victims are:
- 30-year-old Georgio Davonta Lee
- 37-year-old Oleisha Deanna Mears
- 34-year-old Ashley Merricks
- 66-year-old Samuel Jones
13News Now spoke with people who live near Maple Avenue on Saturday. They said the quadruple shooting left their neighborhood on edge.
"Everybody knows everybody. So, that shook the community. It did. It got everybody up in arms," said lifelong Portsmouth resident Daniel Lee Randall.
A surviving witness recounted hearing a knock on the door, Merricks answering and then screaming, according to an affidavit obtained by 13News Now.
The survivor went on to say a man's voice demanded to know where "Lil Baby" was; a flurry of gunshots followed.
However, with suspect information now out there, Randall mentioned that brings him some relief. He also said he hopes police make a speedy arrest.
Neighbors, such as Randall, wished closure for the victims' family members.
"My nephew was involved in a heinous crime like that. And I'm still hurting from it. I can imagine how these people are feeling, the hurt from their loved ones going tragically," said Randall.
Since the deadly shooting, city and law enforcement leaders have checked in on the community. They walked the area on June 9. And on August 18, they focused on the Prentis Place and Prentis Park neighborhoods for their ROC the Block initiative.
Though police handed down charges, it's not yet clear to the public whether detectives think Gore is a lone actor. In the early stages of the investigation, they looked for a car possibly tied to the crime. It's also not known whether that's still part of the investigation.
Police ask anyone with information on Gore's whereabouts to call PPD at 757–393–8536 or the Crime Line at 1–888-LOCK-U-UP.